Bacillus cereus

Ba·cil·lus ce·re·us

a bacterial species that causes emetic and diarrheal types of food poisoning in humans; can cause infections in humans and other mammals and a highly destructive infection of the traumatized eye.

Bacillus cereus

a species of bacilli found in the soil. It causes food poisoning (an emetic type and a diarrheal type) by the formation of an enterotoxin in contaminated foods. The symptoms are similar to those of Staphylococcus food poisoning. It can also cause infections, such as ocular infections, and septicemia.

Bacillus cereus

EpidemiologyB cereus causes foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Europe, but not in the US. Of the two clinical forms of disease, the diarrhoeal form is more common and has a 24-hour incubation period; the emetic (vomiting) form has a shorter (1–6-hour) incubation period.

ManagementBecause symptoms are mild, self-limited and mediated by an enterotoxin, antibiotics are not indicated.

PathogenesisB cereus is found in uncooked rice; the heat-resistant spores survive boiling, and germinate when uncooked rice is left unrefrigerated. Each type of gastroenteritis is caused by a different enterotoxin.

Ba·cil·lus ce·re·us

(bă-sil'ŭs sĕr'ē-ŭs)

A species that causes an emetic type and a diarrheal type of food poisoning in humans and can cause infections in humans and other mammals.

Bacillus

a genus of bacteria that are gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming rods. With the exception of B. anthracis and the occasional wound contamination and bovine mastitis caused by B. cereus, the organisms are largely saprophytic and do not cause disease. However, they may invade devitalized tissue. They do have importance in the area of food preservation.

are thiaminase-producing bacteria which may proliferate in the rumen and contribute to the cerebral lesions in carbohydrate engorgement and polioencephalomalacia in cattle.

Bacillus anthracis

characterized by its capacity to form spores when exposed to the air and to survive for long periods in soil and other inert materials. Has a characteristic appearance with McFadyean's stain. Causes anthrax in all species.

a species causing food poisoning, occasional cases of septicemia and bovine mastitis and abortion.

Bacillus circulans, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus stearothermophilus

very heat-resistant bacteria which cause fermentation of cereals in canned meat foods. They cause souring but no gas production so that the can does not bulge. Called also flat sour. B. stearothermophilus spores are used to test efficacy of autoclaves.

Bacillus larvae

the cause of American foulbrood in honeybees.

Bacillus licheniformis

reported as a cause of abortion in cattle, sheep and pigs, and also isolated from suppurative lesions of horses and cattle.

In a case of minimally-processed fluted pumpkin leaves for its juice, Bacillus cereus and subtilis may pose some health hazards if ingested in sufficient quantity to cause a poisoning as the case may be when the juice is not consumed immediately after preparation.

The ubiquitous bacterium Bacillus cereus found in soils, fresh and marine waters, dust, and intestinal systems of many insects has usually been linked to food poisoning yet has also caused a variety of serious infections [1-5].

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.